Parmigiano-Reggiano with Three Dipping Sauce Recipe

The Swiss love their fondue, but when you have an authentic Grana cheese as wonderful and tasty as authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano or even Granglona Pecorino, why not enjoy their peak flavor straight-up?

Here are three sauces that will make a perfect party appetizer to be served with drinks or at the beginning of a bigger meal.

Ingredients:
20 chunks of Parmigiano-Reggiano, or 10 chucks of Parmigiano and 10 chunks of Il Granglona Pecorino

BLACK OLIVE SAUCE:
8 ounce black olives, pitted
4 ounce extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Place the olives in a food processor and process into a fine paste. Continue processing while drizzling in the olive oil. Scrape the sauce into a small bowl.

PARSLEY SAUCE:
4 ounce fresh parsley, remove the leaves from the stems
4 ounce extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small fresh jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Coarsely chop the parsley and jalapeno and place them in a blender. Process until they become a smooth paste.
2. Continue blending while you drizzle in the olive oil.
3. Season to taste, and pour the sauce into a small bowl.

TOMATO SAUCE
1-1/3 pound vine-ripe plum tomatoes
Super fine sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions: 1. Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds.
2. In a saucepan, cook the tomato pulp on a low flame for about 90 minutes with olive oil, a pinch of sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Once cooked, pass through a vegetable mill.

Directions:
1. Arrange the Parmigiano-Reggiano and Il Granglona chunks on a platter. Place the sauces in small bowls around the cheese in order to be able to dip the chunks.

serves 4